Generally, when driving a vehicle, a driver is supposed to confirm circumstances around the vehicle, such as an existence or approach of a human being or an object towards the vehicle. In order to assist the confirmation of the circumstances, a known drive assisting device and a surrounding monitoring device for a vehicle, each of which includes a camera at a vehicle and which displays a captured image on a monitor device provided inside the vehicle, have been suggested. For example, disclosed in JP2004-173195A is a monitoring device for a vehicle, which recognizes a lighting state of a blinker of another vehicle driving on an adjacent lane relative to a lane on which the subject vehicle is traveling on the basis of a color image and actuates a warning device in a case where a warning is necessary on the basis of the recognition result. According to the monitoring device for the vehicle disclosed in JP2004-173195A, the warning device is actuated, for example, in a case where the other vehicle is about to merge into the lane on which the subject vehicle is traveling, or in a case where a distance between the subject vehicle and the other vehicle is expected to be narrower than a predetermined distance.
Disclosed in JP2005-182306A is a display system for a vehicle, which provides a driver with information which relates to circumstances around the vehicle and which is supposed to be important when driving. The display system for the vehicle disclosed in JP2005-182306A displays an image, which is superimposed on a view expanding ahead of the vehicle, at a display area provided at a windshield. More specifically, the display system for the vehicle recognizes a predetermined object (a target) within a color image capturing the view expanding ahead of the vehicle. Then, the display system for the vehicle detects a red light component of the object in order to display and emphasize a position of the red light component of the object within the display area at the windshield. The object (the target) includes a vehicle traveling in front of the subject vehicle, traffic indications and the like. The red light component within the image capturing the object indicates a stop lamp of the vehicle traveling in front of the subject vehicle, or a color of the traffic indication. The display system for the vehicle disclosed in JP2005-182306A detects an eye point of the driver in order to specify the position of the red light component within the display area at the windshield on the basis of a position of the eye point. Then, the display system for the vehicle generates a display image in which the position of the red light component is emphasized. The display system for the vehicle displays the generated display image on the display area at the windshield.
The monitoring device for the vehicle disclosed in JP2004-173195A recognizes a flickering state of the blinker of the other vehicle and determines whether or not the warning is necessary. Therefore, a relatively great calculation load is applied to the monitoring device for the vehicle. Furthermore, because the monitoring device for the vehicle actuates the warning device rather than inducing the driver to pay attention, the driver may feel irksome. According to the display system for the vehicle disclosed in JP2005-182306A, because the traffic indication or the vehicle traveling in front of the subject vehicle is recognized and then the red light component is detected, a relatively great calculation load is likely to be applied to the display system for the vehicle. Furthermore, the display system for the vehicle needs to include a camera for specifying the eye point of the driver in order to generate the display image on the basis of the eye point of the driver. Additionally, the display system for the vehicle actively displays the object while emphasizing the same rather than inducing the driver to pay attention, the driver may feel irksome.
Generally, a visual confirmation by the driver is considered to be important when driving. When the driver visually confirms the circumstances, i.e. when the driver moves his/her face dynamically, cognition or judgment of the driver or reaction ability relating to a driving operation may be improved. Accordingly, a recognition assist for inducing the driver to confirm the circumstances around the vehicle is considered to be important. However, there exists no system for indirectly informing the driver, such as recognition assist for giving the driver an indication to induce the driver to pay attention and to confirm the circumstances.
A need thus exists to provide a surrounding recognition assisting device for a vehicle which is not susceptible to the drawback mentioned above.